Considering Montenegro for your family holiday? We spent just over a week in Montenegro with our children aged 8, 12 and 16 and the answer to the question of is Montenegro suitable for a family holiday with children is definitely: yes!
Montenegro is a slightly unusual destination for a family holiday – it’s not the first place you think of as a classic summer destination with kids, but that’s exactly what appealed to us in the first place.
However, the longer answer as to whether your children will enjoy holidaying in Montenegro depends really on what you’re expecting from your family holiday.
Montenegro is a pretty small country without much of a history as a tourist destination; indeed it’s only been an independent country in its own right since 2006. It’s only over the last few years that it’s begun developing a serious tourism industry and is now becoming increasingly popular as a result.
The big appeal of Montenegro as a holiday destination is, in our opinion, its amazing natural beauty. You won’t find tons of theme parks or attractions specifically for entertaining children. There was a new aqua park recently opened in Budva (which is the main tourist hotspot on the coast) but we found very little in the way of family specific attractions.
That, however, is exactly one of the things we loved about the place! If you’re looking for the kind of all-inclusive hotel experience with entertainment for children that you might find in places like the Costa del Sol or Canary Islands, then Montenegro probably isn’t for you.
Our favourite type of holiday is one where you get to go a bit off the beaten track, somewhere with amazing views, beautiful scenery and the potential for some more adventurous activities, as well as being able to head to a beach or lay by the pool as well. On this front, Montenegro ticks every box.
Our children, ranging from aged 8 up to 16, appeared to enjoy every minute of the holiday and were never bored, despite it not being a specifically child-oriented place.
We went white-water rafting, went on boat trips, climbed up a mountain and spent plenty of time at local beaches playing, swimming and snorkelling, as well as a couple of days spent relaxing at our apartment by the pool, all of which they loved.
Yes, there’s a bit more effort required to get out and about with the children in tow in a place like this, particularly compared with staying at a resort that’s geared up for entertaining children, but it was all extremely rewarding and the experiences we had there will be remembered by the children, and us, probably for a lifetime.
Is Montenegro safe for a family holiday with kids?
This seems pretty stupid now, but I was a bit worried about how safe Montenegro is as a country to visit with children. I knew nothing at all about the place before we visited, except for the fact it’s in the Balkans, a region with a recent history of war and conflict, so wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of security, safety, the risk of crime, etc.
If you’ve got similar concerns, you can forget them as we found it friendly, safe and extremely welcoming. The crime rate is extremely low – far lower I’d imagine than in more developed tourist destinations.
We found all the locals extremely friendly and helpful, most of them speaking good English and being far friendlier and more approachable than anywhere back home in the UK! everywhere we went there was just a relaxed, laid back feel. People’s main pre-occupations seemed to involve just sitting by the water, laying in the sun, swimming in the sea and fishing.
It’s a beautiful country with a superb summer climate and, based on everyone we met, a very friendly and welcoming population. You may not find a lot of specific activities or attractions dedicated to children, but if your kids enjoy experiencing nature and activities beyond the confines of a hotel or holiday complex, we’d have no qualms in recommending you take them to Montenegro – it gave us a perfect family holiday experience!